Dosh dilemma: Sam’s ‘scamscription’ stress

Sam was doing a quick check of his bank account when he spotted a £30 payment to a company he didn’t recognise.  

He looked back through his statements and realised the charge had been coming out for the last three months. 

Concerned, Sam Googled the company. There was no website and no contact details but plenty of people flagging it as a scam. 

So he called his bank. 

After a bit of digging, they found that the company had first charged Sam £1 in January,  then started taking £30 every month after that. 

That’s when the penny dropped. Sam remembered clicking a link a few months back, thinking he was paying for a parking ticket. The page looked official enough and he agreed to a small £1 charge but didn’t see anything about a recurring payment. The site didn’t even mention parking, just something vague about ‘web services’. It seemed dodgy, but it was only £1, so he forgot about it. 

Fortunately, Sam’s bank refunded the money and blocked future payments.  

But now he’s asking: how do I stop this from happening again? 

What’s a ‘scamscription’? 

With so many of us signed up to subscriptions for music, TV, fitness, food deliveries and more, scammers have found a way to take advantage.  

They offer what looks like a free trial, small charges for services such as parking, a prize draw or a low-cost sample and sneak a recurring charge into the small print.  

These are known as scamscriptions. 

They’re designed to be easy to miss, hard to cancel and often disguised under confusing payment names. 

How to spot a scamscription 

• Too-good-to-be-true offers 
  Free trials or product samples where you just pay shipping and then start getting charged monthly.  

• Buried or missing terms 
  Important details like cancellation rules or subscription costs are hidden in tiny text or not shown at all. 

• Hard to cancel 
  There’s no contact details, no clear way to stop payments, just a vague website. 

• Strange payment names 
  Charges may appear under unfamiliar names, making them easy to miss on your bank statement. 

• Small first charge 
  As Sam experienced, a £1 ‘test’ charge is used to get your details, then the fees begin. 

How to protect yourself 

• Always read the fine print: if terms and conditions are hard to find or unclear, don’t go ahead. 

• Use reminders: set a calendar alert to cancel free trials before they roll into paid subscriptions. 

• Check your bank statements regularly: look out for anything you don’t recognise, even small amounts. 

• Act fast: if you spot a suspicious payment, contact your bank or card provider immediately to stop further charges. 

What to do if you’ve already been scammed?  

• Try cancelling through the company first: if they don’t respond, go straight to your bank or card provider. 

• Ask for a refund: your bank may ask for proof, such as emails, screenshots, or reviews from others who have had the same issue. 

• Escalate the complaint: if your bank says the payment was authorised, you can escalate your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service. 

• Paid by credit card? You might be able to get your money back through section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, designed to protect you if things go wrong when you make a payment by credit card. 

• Report the scam to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. 

Stay one step ahead 

Scams like these rely on people being too busy or too trusting. Staying informed is the best defence. 

• Be wary with links, especially ones promising something for nothing. 

• Trust your gut — if something feels off, avoid it. 

• Review your statements regularly — it's a simple habit that can save you money and stress. 

 For more tips on staying safe online, read our guide on outsmarting online scammers.